Branding human-trafficking victims should be its own felony

As a father, human trafficking, which usually includes child exploitation and forced prostitution, is one of the most horrific and terrifying topics to think about, yet sadly, this crime continues to plague our state. Alarmingly, there have been 40 human-trafficking cases and 145 calls to resource centers in Colorado already this year.

As a lawmaker, I have made raising awareness of and strengthening our laws against human trafficking a primary focus during my tenure in the legislature. Human trafficking is a crime, but within this crime, is a seemingly endless list of deviant acts that uniquely scar victims. One such act is called branding, and in the upcoming session I intend to make it a felony.

Branding a victim, commonly done through visible tattoos or piercings, is a growing trend within human trafficking. I have seen reports of victims with tattooed names, symbols and degrading phrases that are meant to mark a victim as the property of a particular trafficker or pimp. This type of branding degrades a victim from a person to a piece of property, and adds a physical scar to the tremendous mental damage these victims endure.

It's heartbreaking to learn about another atrocious iniquity victims of human trafficking experience. As with kidnapping, physical abuse and rape, to fully penalize these traffickers and pimps for this crime, each specific act of injustice should bear apt punishment. Establishing a felony statute for branding will allow prosecutors to add this crime to a case against human traffickers who brand their victims, increasing both the chances for a guilty verdict and the length of a sentence. Perhaps most importantly, making branding a felony gives victims a chance for justice, specifically for a crime they are forced to see every day.

If you have thoughts about this issue or other human trafficking issues please contact me and thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. You can keep up with all of our caucus updates by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook or visiting www.coloradohousegop.com.